Wheelbarrow



Sept. 3, I929. BURNS v 1,727,271

WHEELBARROW Filed Oct. 8, 1928 John Burns:

INVENTOR ATTOR NEY Patented Sept. 3, 1929.

UNITED STATES JOHN BURNS, orEAs'r s'r'. LoU'Is,.1LLInoIs.

WHEELBARROW.

Application 'filed ctober'8; 1928; Serial 1%. 311,138.

This invention relates to wheelbarrows, and its general object is to provide a wheelbarrow having a dumping body that is held in normal position by amanuallyactuated latching means, and is provided with track-ways cooperating with a rounded front wall'of the body which merges into the bottom thereof to facilitate the dumping of the body when the latter is released.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wheelbarrow having a pair of parallelly arranged ground engaging wheels so as to eliminate to a minimum lateral tipping of the barrow.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wheelbarrow that is rather simple in construction, strong and sturdy, easy to handle, inexpensive to manufacture and eiiicient in operation and service.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claim.

In describing my invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the wheelbarrow forming the subject matter of the present invention and showing the body in normal position in full lines and in dumping position in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of my wheel barrow.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken therethrough.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view illustrating the latching means on an enlarged scale.

Referring to the drawings in detail, it will be noted that the frame of the barrow includes a pair of spaced parallel side members 1 terminating at one of their ends in reduced portions providing handles 2.

The side members are connected by transverse bars 3, and extending forwardly from the forward brace bar 3 and being secured to the forward portions of the side members respectively are bearing blocks 4 which are disposed in depending relation and have bearing openings in their lower or small ends to accommodate the ends of the axle 5 which is journaled in the bearing blocks as will be apparent. I

The axle has secured thereto a pair of spaced parallel wheels 6, and by providing a pairof wheels, side tilting of the wheelbarrow will be reduced to a minimum.

Secured 'to'the upper'surfaces of the side members 1 are strips 7 of angle iron which have their vertical portions insubstantial alignment with'the outer edge ofthe side members as best shown in Figure 3, while the horizontal portions receive the securing means and co-operate with the vertical portions to provide track-ways for the body which is mounted for rocking movement thereon as will be apparent upon inspection of Figure 1.

The body is provided with flat side Walls 8 and a rear wall 9 which merges into the bottom which in turn merges into the front wall 10 and this front wall is substantially arouate shape so as to cooperate with the track ways to facilitate the dumping of the body to the dotted line position as shown in Figure 1.

Secured to the side members 1 are upwardly and forwardly curved arms 11 having slots 12 longitudinally arranged therein for the purpose of receiving the ends of a rod 13 that is secured to the rear wall 9 at its juncture with the bottom Wall. The rod '13 is provided with openings in its ends to accommodate pins l t for holding the rod in the slots of the arms. The arms not only cooperate with the vertical portions of the strip 7 for guiding the body in its movements, but limit the dumping movement of the latter.

In order to retain the body in its normal position as shown in full lines in Figure 1, I provide a latching means which includes a substantially U-shaped catch 15 secured to the rear wall 9 of the body, and secured to and rising from the rearwardly disposed transverse bar 3 is an upright 16 having secured to its upper end spaced parallel ears 17 for accommodating a pivot pin which pivotally receives alatch member 18 having a hooked end to be received by the U-shaped catch 15 and the'handle 19 for operatingthe latch member. A coil spring 20 is provided for holding the latch member in a position whereby itwill operate to receive the catch when the body is disposed to its normal position. From the above description and disclosure of the drawings, it will be obvious that I have provided a Wheelbarrow of the dumping body type that includes a latching means for holding the body in its normal position, and the latching means Will automatically operate when the body is arranged to'its normal position, but must be manually released.

The wheelbarrow is provided-withlegs that are made up of substantially V-shaped members Qlhaving flat apices to provide feetas eral parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A wheelbarrow of the character described comprising a pair of side members having one of their ends reduced to provide handles, supporting legs secured to said side members, forward bars for said side members, bearing blocks secured to the side members and the forward bars, an axle journaled in said bearing blocks, a pair of Wheels secured to said axle, curved arms rising and extending forwardly from said side members, said arms being formed with longitudinally disposed slots, track-ways secured to said side members, abody mounted for rocking movement on said track-Ways, means carried by said body and mounted for slidable movement in the slots to limit the rocking, movement of said bodyand latching means for the latter.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN BURNS. 

